Weather Agency Links Global Warming to Increased Rainfall in Japan

The Japan Meteorological Agency released on its website on October 28, 2005 a report that suggests a close relationship between abnormal weather and global warming.

Describing abnormal weather patterns from 1998 to 2004, the "Abnormal Weather Report 2005" indicates four major findings: (1) an increased frequency of abnormally warm temperatures, (2) a greater frequency of abnormally high compared to low monthly rainfall, (3) an increase in the number of sunny days in spring, and (4) the absence of a decrease in the number of typhoons that pass or approach Japan despite a decrease in the total number formed. Especially, considering monthly precipitation at about 130 observation sites in the past six years, noteworthy was that the total months of abnormally high rainfall (549), far exceeded the months of abnormally low rainfall (349). This finding suggests a relationship between global warming and abnormally high rainfall.

This is the seventh such five-year report since the agency issued the first in 1974, based on comprehensive analysis of monitoring data of long-term climate conditions, in some cases covering more than 100 years, at home and abroad, latest climate predictions and other data.

http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html

Posted: 2006/03/04 10:30:19 AM
Japanese version